October 3, 2011

The world is a pretty crazy place. With technology and innovation everywhere, we tend to forget about the little things. Let’s take a minute to get back to nature! Here are some crazy animal facts that will make you think!

The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It’s like a human jumping the
length of a football field.

Butterflies taste with their feet.

A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to
death.(Creepy)

August 27, 2010

Hi everyone! Here at The Atlanta Humane Society we are always trying to improve the way we do things. We do this for ourselves, our animals, and our loyal supporters like you. That being said, we are switching our blog server. Instead of using WordPress.com we will be utilizing WordPress.org. WordPress.com hosts blogs but we thought it was time to use WordPress.org which lets us host our own blogs. Please make the switch with us and sign up for our new blog at http://atlantahumane.org/wordpress/. Stay tuned for more fun and informative blogs from the AHS. Thank you for your support!

All of our AHS animals are now hosted on Petango! Adopters can browse with an easy-to-use navigation menu and view available pets within their neighborhood or nationally from over 260,000 dogs and cats in shelters. Other search criteria available include breed, age, size, species and gender. Users looking to adopt a pet can view pet photos, a description of the pet, and the name and details of the shelter where the pet is currently located. Unlike other pet related applications, the Petango ‘Find a Pet’ smartphone app itunes.apple.com not only allows potential adopters to perform real-time local and national adoptable pet searches in the United States and Canada, but also helps current pet owners who have lost their dog or cat search listings of missing pets using the “Find Lost Pets itunes.apple.com/ca/app/petangos-find-a-pet ” feature. The Petango app also includes additional unique capabilities, such as:

a sliding distance bar, to narrow or widen the search range of available pets for adoption

the option to browse adoptable pets by choosing a specific zip code of their choice

the ability to search for animal welfare organizations locally and nationally

with one-touch, place a call directly to the shelter of the adopter’s choice as well as receive driving directions

National Dog Day is celebrated annually and serves to honor all dogs and to help the public recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year from homelessness and abuse. It was founded in 2004 by animal behaviorist and author Colleen Paige. Here are some ways you can celebrate National Dog Day…

Plan an outing. Host a barbecue or picnic that includes other “dog friends.” Your dog will enjoy your undivided attention. Feeling ambitious? Try a getaway to a dog-friendly hotel or resort.

Shop for toys. Dogs can be rough on their toys, and tattered toys pose a risk to your dog’s health, says Paige. Make a habit of tossing the old toys and replacing with a new batch of intriguing toys each National Dog Day.

Prepare for emergencies. Show your love by taking a pet first-aid course, advises Melanie Monteiro, author of The Safe Dog Handbook: A Complete Guide to Protecting Your Pooch, Indoors and Out. Also, spend five minutes updating your cell phone contact list to include the numbers for your veterinarian, an after-hours veterinarian and poison control center. Plug your dog’s microchip number into your cell.

Volunteer. Rescue groups and shelters need your help, even if you can’t make a long-term commitment of time or money. “Think locally,” says Sherry Woodard, resident animal behavior consultant for Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. “Find a way to help your local shelter or rescue group. There are struggling individual rescue groups across the country.”

Donate. Honor National Dog Day by giving $5 to your local shelter. Many shelters and rescue groups also list needed items, such as blankets and toys, on their websites.

What You Shouldn’t Do….

Don’t support puppy mills. “We want to shut down puppy mills because they overbreed and neglect the animals,” says Paige. Instead of purchasing a dog from a pet store, which is supplied by a puppy mill, consider adopting on National Dog Day.

Don’t put off spaying or neutering your dog. “A lot of people think, ‘If my dog had one litter, it will be OK,’” says Woodard. Don’t contribute to the overpopulation problem, which leaves so many dogs in need of a home.

Don’t leave your dog in your car. Many dog owners underestimate just how quickly a car can heat up in the summer. “I passed out at the grocery store and was taken to the emergency room,” says Suzi Carragher, blogger at RedDogInn.com. “Had my dogs been in my car, they would have been in trouble.”

Don’t drive with your dog unsecured. Too many dog owners still travel with dogs roaming free in the back of pickup trucks. It’s also not a good idea to travel with a dog loose inside your car. If you stop suddenly, your dog may get hurt or interfere with your driving.

August 25, 2010

The Atlanta Humane Society wants you to spin the “Wheel of Love”. Until the end of August all approved adopters will get a free spin. Just turn the “Wheel of Love” and your adoption fee could be full price, half price, $75, $50, $25, name your price, or even free. Donations are always appreciated. The smaller the adoption fee, the more you can spend on spoiling your new best friend with food, treats, and toys. No matter what the “Wheel of Love” lands on, you will be a winner by adopting one of our wonderful dogs or cats!

Hi my name is Cara Carver and I would like to tell you about my experiences as an intern. I am the second official Social Media/PR intern for the Atlanta Humane Society. I am a communication arts major at Reinhardt University and am set to graduate in Spring 2011. There are a lot of things going on in my life right now, although being selected for this internship is one of the most exciting things.

Today was only my second day, but I assure you that I have learned a lot already. Even though the Atlanta Humane Society is a big place, I feel like I already know my way around. My internship position mainly deals with websites, networking, and blogs, but I do not sit still at the computer all day. My first couple of days have been filled with meeting new people and meeting new animals.

The staff at the Atlanta Humane Society is incredible. I have met everyone from volunteers to operations supervisors. It is clear that this is not “work” for them- it is exactly what they love to do. And that is exactly the kind of organization that I am proud to be a part of.

The animals that I have met in my first couple of days also made a tremendous impact on me. All of the dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies have distinct personalities. Being able to spend time with the pets has already made my internship that much easier. They are the real inspiration for me to promote adoptions and events. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me and all of the fur-babies here at AHS!

August 19, 2010

This has been one hot summer and Labor Day weekend will be no exception. Celebrate the first weekend in September and stay cool at the same time. Now you can get relief from this heat wave while helping Atlanta’s animals.

Atlanta Humane Society has teamed up with Bruster’s Ice Cream to raise money for the Society pets in need at AHS. How can you help? By purchasing a delicious Bruster’s Ice Cream Pie, Half Gallon, or Coupon Book! How does it work? Keep reading!

You can select which item(s) you’d like to purchase (there are 4 flavors of ice cream pies, 10 flavors of half gallon ice cream, and 12 coupons in the coupon book!).

You can then select the store you’d like to pick your item(s) up from. The pick-up date is Thursday, September 2, 2010. Orders can only be fulfilled on this day—not before, not after.

Don’t see a nearby store on the list? Search for one near your zip code. Stores across the nation are all participating in this promotion!

Once you submit your order, you’ll have the option to pay for your items online, via Paypal. If you’d rather pay by check or in person, please contact Karla Dempsey at 404.974.2875 to make arrangements. You must complete payment by Saturday, August 28.

Don’t forget to share with your friends, via email and/or Facebook! And remember—stores across the nation are participating, so Aunt Gertie in Mississippi can help AHS pets too!

Bring an ice cream pie to your Labor Day celebration this year and help save a dog or cat in need! Don’t need a pie for the holiday? Snag the coupon book, and enjoy Bruster’s sweet treats year round!

A fun fact…bring your dog to Bruster’s any day of the week and they’ll reward him with a FREE Doggy Sundae!

August 16, 2010

Social Club is back! A few times a year, we plan a big get-together for all of our friends, supporters, staff, and volunteers. It’s a chance for us to really get to know the people who make Atlanta Humane Society possible, and a chance for everyone to just enjoy a fun night out, away from the stress of a workday. This August, we are partnering with a very special, exclusive venue for our Social Club celebration: The Warren!

The Warren is a private city club located in the popular Virginia-Highland neighborhood. It offers an ideal setting for dining, relaxing, and celebrating. The dining area flows out onto the third level garden terrace where you can take in a sweeping view of the Atlanta city skyline. On normal nights, you must be a member to visit the Warren. But on Thursday, August 19th, friends of Atlanta Humane Society can check out the club for only a $10 donation. This donation earns you admission, complimentary snacks, and a raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets may be purchased for $5. We will be raffling off a membership to The Warren (a $600 value), as well as many other fabulous prizes.

Along with all the donations from the door, the Warren is generously donating 10% of all sales that evening, so come thirsty and bring your appetite! Pets are not allowed. The event is open to everyone 21+, so please feel free to invite your friends and coworkers! Please visit their website for directions and parking information: www.thewarrencityclub.com

Hi, all! I’m a new foster mom and I want you guys to know all about what it’s like. This new series will give you a look into what it’s like to care for newborn puppies up until their adoption time.

Lucy, the pups’ mom, has a new home…and it’s with me! I’m warning you now that fostering may lead to more pets in your household. It’s so easy to become attached to an animal, no matter how long they are in your house. I had been looking for a home for Lucy, but realized that I didn’t like the idea of letting her go. So after giving it some thought and weighing the different outcomes, I adopted Lucy today. I’m very happy and she slept through it after being given the complimentary cozy corral pet bed that now comes with adoption. Check out the picture of her adoption and stay tuned for one last post on the last two puppies with their adopter!

The AHS blog is kicking off a new series called Tips, Tricks and Tools by Mailey! This new series is dedicated to answering reader questions. We want you guys to write in with all your inquiries on animal behavior and training. Here’s how it will work: e-mail your questions to pr@atlantahumane.org, Mailey McLaughlin, our Animal Behavior and Training expert, will answer them and then they will be posted in one week.

We have 3 3 year old Malteses, 2 girls and 1 boy. The 2 bigger ones are from the same litter and have bonded more and the little one from a different litter is subservient to them. The 2 bigger ones bark when anyone comes to our house, and if we don’t put them on a leash, they will attempt to nip at their pant leg or skirt. If they get used to the visitor but the visitor gets and leaves the room and then comes back into the room, the barking and attempt to nip will begin again. We have tried to get them to stay but they will not when the guest gets up. Any ideas?

Another problem is that there is a dog next door and now when we go to let them out in the fenced in back yard, the 2 big ones immediately run to the fence and start barking even if there is no one on the other side. What can we do?

It can indeed be challenging to have multiple dogs, especially littermates or dogs that were raised together from puppyhood. They are harder to train and housebreak, and they tend to bond so closely with each other that they don’t respect the humans as leaders. It sounds like you have a case of “littermate syndrome” going on.

Fixing the problem means setting it up so that you can get their attention and train some simple commands that they can obey even when excited or distracted. They will need to be separated on a regular basis so you can establish some leadership. I recommend against getting multiple puppies at once, but if it’s already done, the best thing to do is keep them separated a lot as they grow up so they are easier to train and don’t develop hierarchy issues (this generally flies in the face of what people think is best; they get multiples so they can have companionship, but constant togetherness in growing puppies is actually detrimental to their growth). Since these guys are already grown, it’s going to be a little trickier, as they are not going to take to being separated much, I’d imagine. But with patience and work, it can be done.

I’d start crating them separately, in separate rooms, only allowing them to have time together a few hours a day. If they’ve never been crate-trained, this will probably be trying as they will likely cry more than the average dog in crate training. Be resolute and ignore the noise. One of the adults in the home should take over the training of one of the dogs, and the other adult the other dog, if possible. Teach them some basic commands like “sit,” “lie down,” and “come to me.” (Consult a good book like Kilcommons’ and Wilson’s My Smart Puppy, or hire a trainer to help you).

Keep them on leash (or keep them crated when you can’t be actively training them) when guests visit so that you can control them. Teach them to lie quietly beside you instead of allowing them to nip at pants legs. Leadership comes when dogs learn that you will allow certain things and not others, the right things will be rewarded, and you control all the good stuff. It is not harsh, but firm, and since dogs crave structure and a leader, most respond right away.

When they have a solid “come,” the hijinks in the yard will cease because you will be able to get their attention and call them away from the fence and give them alternative behaviors. Right now, they think barking at the fence is their “job.” They don’t know any other way to behave, so guide them to a better, quieter behavior, and reward.

The importance of consistent basics cannot be overemphasized, and even small breeds need training. They are still young, so they will learn. Good luck!

These answers were provided by Mailey E. McLaughlin, M.Ed., our Training & Behavior Manager and Certified Dog Trainer. For more information, email her directly at training@atlantahumane.org.